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Subject 10 : The Revelation (Commentaries on the Revelation)
[Chapter 15-1] The Saints Who Praise the Lord’s Marvelous Works In the Air (Revelation 15:1-8)
“Then I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvelous: seven angels having the seven last plagues, for in them the wrath of God is complete. And I saw something like a sea of glass mingled with fire, and those who have the victory over the beast, over his image and over his mark and over the number of his name, standing on the sea of glass, having harps of God. They sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying:
‘Great and marvelous are Your works,
Lord God Almighty!
Just and true are Your ways,
O King of the saints!
Who shall not fear You, O Lord, and glorify Your name?
For You alone are holy.
For all nations shall come and worship before You,
For Your judgments have been manifested.’
After these things I looked, and behold, the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened. And out of the temple came the seven angels having the seven plagues, clothed in pure bright linen, and having their chests girded with golden bands. Then one of the four living creatures gave to the seven angels seven golden bowls full of the wrath of God who lives forever and ever. The temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from His power, and no one was able to enter the temple till the seven plagues of the seven angels were completed.”
Exegesis
Verse 1: Then I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvelous: seven angels having the seven last plagues, for in them the wrath of God is complete.
Chapter 15 tells us of the end of the world brought by the plagues of the seven bowls poured by the seven angels. What is this “another sign in heaven, great and marvelous,” that the Apostle John saw? It is the wondrous scene of the saints standing on the sea of glass and praising the Lord’s works.
Verse 2: And I saw something like a sea of glass mingled with fire, and those who have the victory over the beast, over his image and over his mark and over the number of his name, standing on the sea of glass, having harps of God.
The phrase “something like a sea of glass mingled with fire” here tells us that the moaning of suffering on this earth would reach its height as God pours the plagues of the seven bowls on it, and that the saints, on the other hand, would be praising the Lord in the air. The plagues of the seven bowls poured on this earth by God are brought to avenge the saints on their enemies.
At this time, the saints, having participated in their resurrection and rapture by God, would be standing on this sea of glass mingled with fire to praise His works. The saints who are resurrected and raptured by being martyred on this earth through the power of the Lord will forever praise Him for His salvation and power. The praising saints are those who would have achieved the victory of faith by overcoming the Antichrist with the kind of faith that rejects him, his image, and the mark of his name or the number of his name.
Verse 3: They sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying: “Great and marvelous are Your works, Lord God Almighty! Just and true are Your ways, O King of the saints!”
The saints standing on the sea of glass are singing the song of Moses and the song of the Lamb. And its lyrics are: “Great and marvelous are Your works, Lord God Almighty! Just and true are Your ways, O King of the saints!” The lyrics of this song, just as they are written, praise God for the fact that with His almighty power there is nothing that He cannot do. It is also written here that “great and marvelous are [His] works.”
The word “marvelous” here means “something so great that words cannot express it.” It is simply wonderful and marvelous, in other words, that our Lord God has saved, through the gospel of the water and the Spirit, all the saints of both the Old Testament and the New Testament from all their sins, made them sinless, and allow these saints, who are saved through their faith, to praise the Lord in the air by resurrecting them from their death of the flesh and lifting them up to the air. These saints are praising the Lord God for being their Savior, their Lord, and the Almighty.
Do you really believe that the Lord God has created the universe and all things in it, including you and me, and that He is indeed our Lord? Only those who believe in this truth can become believers in the gospel of the water and the Spirit given by the Lord. Those who have this faith are the ones who have the truest faith. Christians must know and believe that Jesus is the Creator who made the whole universe and everything in it. And they must praise and worship the Lord God by knowing and believing in His works. “Great and marvelous are Your works, Lord God Almighty!” This praise of faith shows the true faith of the truly born-again saints who sing the song of Moses and the song of the Lamb.
Do you believe that the Lord Jesus is God Almighty? Those who believe that Jesus is God Himself who created the whole universe also believe that the Lord came to this earth in the flesh of a man, that at the age of 30 He was baptized by John to take upon the sins of mankind all at once, and that He bled and died on the Cross and rose from the dead again. Through their faith they receive the remission of sin and become saints. Those who know this truth, and have the true faith in it, can indeed be described as the people of great faith.
The passage here says that the raptured saints praised God in the air, saying, “Great and marvelous are Your works.” They were praising the Lord God, in other words, for creating the universe and mankind, for saving the sinners on this earth by cleansing away all their sins all at once with the Lord’s baptism received from John, and for giving them the right to become the children of God—all through the gospel of the water and the Spirit given by the Lord. That the saints can take part in their martyrdom for Christ, their resurrection and rapture, and eternal life—all these are blessings bestowed by God.
All the saints must give to God their praises that reveal all His glory for all the righteous works that the Lord has done for the sinners—that is, for making all sins disappear, as well as for all other works that He had done while on this earth. The saints sing the song of Moses and the song of the Lamb in the air. They praise the Lord singing how great and marvelous is what the Almighty Lord God has done for the sinners and to His enemies.
Indeed, what the Lord has done for the saints and to all those who stand against Him is not only wonderful to us, but it is even marvelous. The purpose of God in creating this world was to make mankind His people. As such, all His works that He has done for mankind appear before us as wonderful and marvelous. We give glory to God by believing in all that He has done for us, and we praise Him by believing in all His works.
That God created man after His own image is also marvelous. That He gave His Law to everyone, and that He worked through the Virgin Mary to send Jesus Christ to this earth are also wondrous before our eyes. But we believe, at the same time, that all these works were done as a means to save the sinners from their sins. Also marvelous is the fact that our Lord God had passed all the sins of the world onto the body of Jesus Christ, all at once, by having Him receive baptism from John, so that He could make every sin of mankind disappear completely and perfectly.
For those who believe in the gospel of the water and the Spirit, that the Lord God has thus given them the eternal remission of sin and His Holy Spirit is also wonderful and marvelous. And that He has made His saved saints preach the gospel of the water and the Spirit throughout the entire world is another wonderful blessing, something that is, once again, marvelous to us. The fact that our Lord God would allow martyrdom to the saints, permit them to be resurrected and raptured, and have them live in glory forever in Heaven—all these works are also wonderful blessings.
Having planned all these things, God will fulfill them all accordingly when the time comes—these works of the Lord that make the saints glorify and praise God are turned into great blessings in our hearts. We also thank the Lord for and are blessed by the fact that He would avenge Himself on His opponents with His almighty power through the plagues of the seven bowls.
Because all the works of the Lord God appear before the saints’ eyes as something far beyond their limits, they praise Him. They therefore praise the Lord for His omnipotence, for His marvelous works and power. Our Lord God is worthy to receive all praise from not only all mankind, but also from every creation in the universe. Hallelujah!
Those who have known, experienced, and witnessed with their own eyes what our Lord God has done for them cannot help but praise Him for His almighty power, His perfect wisdom, His righteousness, His eternally unchanging just judgment, and His everlasting and unchanging love. The Lord has allowed the saints to praise Him forever for His marvelous works.
As such, the saints praise the Lord God eternally for all the works that He has done for them, for His goodness and greatness. Our Lord God is worthy to receive praise from all things in the universe, for all His works are made possible only by His almighty power. Hallelujah! I praise the Lord for His power and His everlasting, unchanging and blessed love!
Verse 4: “Who shall not fear You, O Lord, and glorify Your name? For You alone are holy. For all nations shall come and worship before You, For Your judgments have been manifested.”
The saints in the air sing the praise of the Lord’s works with their mouths. “Who shall not fear You, O Lord, and glorify Your name?” This is a praise filled by conviction and faith, proclaiming in confidence that no one can ever stand against the glory of the Lord God, and that no one can ever dare to stop Him from receiving praise. Who can stand before the name of the Lord without trembling in fear? There is no one and nothing in this world, in the whole universe and the entire eternal domains, that can stand against and overcome our Lord God, for Jesus is the King of kings and Almighty God.
All things in this world and the saints cannot help but tremble in fear before the name of Jesus Christ, the almighty power of the Lord God, and His truth. Because the power of the Lord God is infinitely great, and because He is true and perfect, all the creatures give thanks, glory and praise before His name. Everyone must have a heart that fears God. And all things in the universe must praise the name of our Lord. Why? Because our Lord is holy, and He has delivered all mankind from all their unrighteousness.
Because the plagues of the seven bowls that the Lord would pour on the Antichrist, his followers, and religionists living on this earth will manifest His righteousness, we cannot help but praise Him. Because the Lord’s righteous justice is revealed through the great plagues of the seven bowls, our Lord God is worthy to receive glory, praise and worship from all the living creatures, angels, and saints in the air.
Who can dare to not fear the name of the Lord Jesus Christ? Our Lord is not a creature, but the Lord Almighty God. By pouring the fearful plagues of the seven bowls to all those who stand against Him, the Lord God makes it simply unavoidable that all His creations would praise Him before His majesty and power.
“For all nations shall come and worship before You, For Your judgments have been manifested.” We must realize, therefore, that no one who stands against and blasphemes the name of the Lord can ever live happily.
Only kneeling before the name of the Lord, and believing in, thanking and praising Him for His supremacy, His omnipotence, His mercy, and His great salvation and love are the kind of worship that is worthy of His name. All the creations must therefore believe in what the Lord has done while on this earth, and praise and worship Him. Our Lord is worthy to receive praise from all people and all nations. Amen. Hallelujah!
Verse 5: After these things I looked, and behold, the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened.
This verse tells us that when the plagues of the seven bowls that our Lord God would pour on this earth end, God would give the saints His house of Heaven. All these things will be fulfilled by the Lord God. What is this tabernacle of the testimony then? It is the house of God that is like the tabernacle of this earth. The phrase, “the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened,” means that the era of the Kingdom of the Lord God would open from then on.
With the opening of the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony, the final plagues and the Kingdom of the Lord God will be brought to this earth. Without knowing the gospel of the water and the Spirit, no faith will be admitted before God. As such, we must know and believe in this gospel of truth, and realize and believe also that the time for us to go to and live in the Kingdom of Christ is now nearing us.
Verse 6: And out of the temple came the seven angels having the seven plagues, clothed in pure bright linen, and having their chests girded with golden bands.
This Word shows us that when God pours the plagues of the seven bowls on this earth, He will work through the angels who believe in the essential justice and fairness of these seven plagues. It tells us, in other words, that the servants of God can become qualified to serve the Lord as His servants only when they always believe in His righteousness and place their complete trust in His goodness.
Only when they believe that the Lord’s works are always right, God’s servants can do such works of the Lord. The saints can thus be used as the precious servants of God only when they are always clothed in the righteousness of the Lord, put on the hope of salvation as a helmet, defend their faith, and live a life that glorifies the Lord.
Verse 7: Then one of the four living creatures gave to the seven angels seven golden bowls full of the wrath of God who lives forever and ever.
This tells us that when God works through His servants, He makes them work in an orderly manner, and that such works are also fulfilled in good order. The phrase, “one of the four living creatures,” shows us that the Lord has His precious servants placed for His purposes, and that He works through them. The four living creatures that appear here are the four most precious servants of the Lord who always stand by Him, and who are the first to serve His purposes. We must realize the supremacy of God and His omnipotence, and we must also believe that He works through His servants.
Verse 8: The temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from His power, and no one was able to enter the temple till the seven plagues of the seven angels were completed.
Before the Lord God completes His judgment of this earth, no one can enter His Kingdom. This tells us just how perfect God’s holiness is. It also tells us that He is not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness (Psalm 5:4). We must therefore remember that if anyone wants to enter the Kingdom of God, he/she must believe in the gospel of the water and the Spirit that the Lord has given to mankind. Our Lord God allows only those who believe in this gospel of the water and the Spirit to enter His Kingdom.
To the saints who have received the remission of sin, God has given the blessing of living forever in His Kingdom after destroying His enemies by pouring the plagues of the seven bowls. All the works of God reach far beyond the imagination of man, revealing His greatness and supremacy. By judging His enemies, God manifests His omnipotence. Were God not to have the power to punish His enemies for their sin of standing against Him, He would not be able to receive praise from all.
But as God has more than enough power to punish those who stand against Him, the Lord God will bring His judgment on His enemies and condemn them with the eternal punishment of hell.
Our Lord God is more than worthy to be praised forever by every people of every nation. God will thus complete His judgment on the enemies for all their sins and open His Kingdom. Amen. We thank our Lord God for His great power, His glory and holiness. Hallelujah!
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